Monday's 40-minute session at the Vegas Golden Knights' practice facility still had plenty of teaching moments for the players as the coaches continued to install parts of the club's systems, but it was also meant as an aerobic exercise during the practice day of the rookie tournament.
"I think this morning was to just get the legs moving," said forward J.C. Beaudin, a veteran among the rookies with it being his third prospect showcase. "It's three games [in four days], and you just want to get ready for main camp and get a little chemistry between the guys. We'll be ready for the main camp."
The Avalanche is 0-2-0 through the first two games of the Vegas Rookie Faceoff but has shown a lot of positive progress during those contests. Colorado nearly erased a four-goal, third-period deficit on Saturday versus the Golden Knights and played a cleaner overall game on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks despite losing 5-2.
The results don't matter in the grand scheme of things for the squad, as its more important for the 28 players to be ready to compete for jobs with the club's vets in a few days.
"You obviously want to win, but it is kind of like a warmup practice for the main camp here," said defenseman Josh Anderson, also a rookie camp veteran of three years. "You want to put your best foot forward here and then get ready for main camp."
The San Jose Sharks will be the Avs' final opponent at the Vegas Rookie Faceoff. It marks the third straight year that the two organizations play one another in a pre-season rookie tournament. Tuesday's contest starts at 12:30 p.m. MT and will be streamed live online at ColoradoAvalanche.com (blackouts apply).
